Plague Dogs
These two ideas are best used together to form a cohesive, multi-faceted 2-group system; however, both can work just as well independently as they can together with the right minds behind them. ---- Post-apocalyptic normal domestic dogs in a pack; neutral-realmed and survival-centric, maybe a bit paranoid/mentally unstable. WIP Post-apocalyptic undead domestic dogs in a pack; dark-realmed and depraved by nature. Led by a sorcerer/sorceress initially, but may be passed down to other undead when the initial leader dies/is away. The leader (aka the Conjurer, if you need a cool rank name) revives the radioactive decaying corpses of dogs and forms a pack from them, using their post-mortem blank slates to turn them into mindless followers and killing machines. This is accomplished with the help of a magical artifact of some sort; maybe a 3d puzzle or something else easily taken apart and put back together, so it can be broken apart and the power can be given temporarily to specific members if they must leave the artifact's area of effect alone. each piece of the artifact is infused w/ some of this magic, but it's at its strongest when all the pieces are brought together. All members are at different stages of decay, but all undead have a few things in common (for logistic reasons): *Undead never have to eat (because their bodies are decaying, not growing or living and therefore in need of constant sustenance), but undead with intact digestive systems (typically "younger"/freshly-killed undead) may eat if they want to until their digestive tracts fully decay/fall out/get damaged/etc. *Newer undead can feel pain in any areas where their nervous system is still intact and connects to the brain; however, just like every other sense, this erodes over time and not all undead are able to feel pain (or any other sensations for that matter, like taste or smell). The magic of the artifact allows all undead still actively risen/under the artifact's life-giving influence to see and hear in spite of injury and/or decay, though. **However, one or both of these sense can be temporarily or even permanently taken away as punishment if the leader sees fit. *Undead can think, plan, and feel emotion to whatever degree their living counterpart was able to; however, damage to/decay within the brain has the potential to inhibit one or all of these. **In spite of this, *Undead are revived with no memory of anything from their previous lives (unless the leader deems it vital and appropriate that they remember certain things). They are, however, revived with full knowledge of the garbled tongue they speak post-mortem (meaning it does not have to learned), knowledge of and reverence for who revived them (almost always the leader), and a full hour of blank consciousness ready to be re-imprinted upon. During this period, they have no independent thoughts or desires of their own, and are therefore ultimately malleable by whoever may want to implant ideas into their heads. After this period, they regain their normal consciousness (while retaining anything imprinted unto them during the blank period) and exist fittingly. *Undead cannot directly talk to the living; their tongues have become garbled beyond comprehension due to their visit to the afterlife. Undead can communicate with each other just fine, though. The leader can also be communicated with in full, thanks to the artifact. *Undead are physically unable to reproduce, and any attempts of two undead to reproduce will be unsuccessful. (Their gametes/sex cells have all died/decayed, so it is impossible even with two dogs of opposite sexes killed just seconds prior.) *Young undead (pups) are possible (as pups can die and be revived), but pups that are raised will never develop into adults; rather, they will stay in their pup form forever. Their mental states can vary from puplike (as in life) to a fully matured adult, and everything in-between. Pups are treated the same as older members, and pups that are considered useless (ie newborns) are not raised at all. As per adult members, age and death are determined by degree of decay, not developmental growth. **Undead who were pregnant and died before being able to give birth are gutted upon rising, so that the pups do not weigh them down. The underdeveloped pups are never raised with them, regardless of how developed they may have been before death. Extra notes: **Phantoms and husks (including Seekers) cannot be turned into the undead (even when slain), as they are not technically living creatures to begin with. However, any species can be revived with the artifact if killed. **Undead can be turned into phantoms if their hearts are completely consumed with darkness, but they can never become husks because of their lack of "spirit" after being raised. **Wielders can be revived by the artifact if they are slain, but they will not retain control of their weapon (as it will choose a new living master upon death).